BookTalk.org

Don't you love the word? In case anyone is not familiar with it, it is defined as the technique by which one artist responds to another, specifically as a verbal response to the visual arts. One such poem is

"Fishing Boats on the Beach at Saintes-Maries de la Mer" from van Gogh, poem by Jude Goodwin:

One of these boats carried Mary,
put to sea by the Romans,
the crying woman, hands wrapped with rags
that smell of myrrh. And a tomb angel
guards the beach. All the fishers have fled in fear
except the one who stayed to spread his cloak
over the water. For the women
in the boat, no sail, no paddles.
And the mourning Mary. Miracles
she tells him, are untouchable.
The fisher guides her hand
to the red boat's prow,
the old wood thick
with loving paint. Hold fast
mother, he says
and the women are gone.
Flat sea. Four boats
returned to shore. Curdled cod's breath
sky. A yellow mast, yellow grass.
Some kind of large grey wind
floating in the water,
washing up against the rock.

Does anyone else have any favorites?

If you want to see the painting:
http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.j ... 59&lang=en

Very interesting. The poem was inspiried by a painting, as if the two artists came together. Would that term apply then to a poem written about a band. In the book I wrote there is a poem that was inspired by my favorite rock band. It is not a response to their work, more admoration.